The present invention relates generally to paper towel holders, and more particularly to a paper towel holder that is adapted to be secured to a surface and which facilitates removal of one or more sheets of paper towels from a roll of paper towels with a pulling motion.
It is well-known that paper towel rolls have a cylindrical tube disposed substantially through the center thereof and a web of paper towel sheets arranged in a roll and separated by rows of perforations to facilitate tearing of the sheets. Such paper towel rolls have a maximum diameter determined, in part, to the number of paper towel sheets in the web. Prior paper towel roll holders may support the roll on its end with its rotational axis vertical, while other holders may support the roll with its axis horizontal, such as on a vertical wall or underneath a cabinet. Such devices, however, lack a means for controlling the number of sheets which are removed from the roll, and typically require two-handed operation—one to pull the sheets of paper towels outward, and the other to lock the roll in place, once the desired number of sheets has been attained, in order to tear the paper towels along the perforation.
Other prior art paper towel holders, such as those commonly found in public restrooms, comprise bulky housings that house a roll of papers towels, a lever to dispense paper towels and a serrated edge for tearing the papers towels. However, such paper towel holders are very bulky and are complicated to remove and reinstall a roll of paper towels.